Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Although problem gambling has been primarily thought of as an adult behavior, gambling activities appear to be particularly attractive to todays youth. In fact, prevalence studies conducted in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Europe, and Australia have noted rising prevalence rates of youth involvement in both legal and illegal forms of gambling. While approximately 80% of High School students report having gambled for money during the past year, 4-8% of adolescents presently have a serious gambling problem with another 10-14% of adolescents at risk for developing a serious gambling problem. Yet, for most parents and teens, gambling is viewed as an innocuous behavior with few negative consequences. Read further...